New species ofArthonialesfrom NE Brazil

The new speciesConiarthonia aurataE. L. Lima, M. Cáceres & Aptroot,Cresponea endosulphureaA. A. Menezes, M. Cáceres & Aptroot,Cryptothecia macrocephalaE. L. Lima, M. Cáceres & Aptroot, andSynarthonia sarcographoidesAptroot, A. A. Menezes, E. L. Lima & M. Cáceres are described from Caatinga vegetation in NE Brazil. They were found in the Chapada do Araripe in the state of Ceará and/or the Vale do Catimbau National Park in Pernambuco.Coniarthonia auratahas weakly organized, semiglobose apothecia with golden crystals, and on first impression looks like the anamorph of aTylophoron.Cresponea endosulphureahas a pigment of the group of xantholepinones in the thallus. It is the first time that a substance from this group is reported from theArthoniales.Cryptothecia macrocephalahas strongly macrocephalic ascospores and contains psoromic acid in the thallus.Synarthonia sarcographoidesis only the third species in this rarely found genus. It is characterized within the genus by muriform, brown ascospores, but it is assigned with hesitation to the genus. It is locally quite common.